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We received a rather long email recently, asking for information about orgasms after a hysterectomy. This is the second woman who has asked about this topic, so I’ll attempt to answer these questions from my personal experience since I have had the surgery myself.

“I’ve read opposing responses about how hysterectomies affect orgasms on forums and blogs. Some say their orgasms were very decreased or non-existent after hysterectomy, while others claim their orgasms increased afterwards.

The ones claiming none-or-decreased seemed to go into more detail about how they used to have “full” orgasms (from penetration, not just clitoral stimulation). And many of the claims I’ve seen from the “having more orgasms after hysterectomy” don’t include details about what kind of orgasms they had, so maybe they’re just having the clitoral kinds. Here are questions I’m hoping you might be able to find answers to:

Did pain prevent you from having orgasms before your hysterectomy?”

I was able to orgasm before my hysterectomy, however, my husband would “bottom out” almost every time and in every position. The pain that I experienced was from him hitting my cervix every single time. That pain did get worse towards the end because of my prolapsed uterus. I could still orgasm, but we had to be more gentle/careful.

“What kinds of orgasms did you have before and after hysterectomy? Clitoral, vaginal/uterine, or the elusive cervix kind (I’ve only had those a few times, they hurt a little while building up, but once they start, the pain disappears, and those orgasms were even better than a perfectly timed clitoral/vaginal orgasm combo!)”

I have never experienced the cervical orgasm. Before my surgery, when I had a cervix, it always hurt when my husband would bump into it. It wasn’t pleasurable for me. (Although I do know women who take pleasure in having their cervix “bumped.”) I have had clitoral and vaginal orgasms both before and after my surgery.

“If you’re claiming more orgasms after hysterectomy, are those orgasms with the same partner?”

I don’t know if I claim to have more orgasms since my hysterectomy, but they certainly have not declined in frequency. I am able to have sex without the fear of my husband bumping into my cervix now, so that is a positive. And yes, I’ve been with the same partner (my husband).

“An expert question: Do you think the reason for changes in orgasmic patterns after hysterectomy are due to the uterus being a part of the whole orgasm thing, or maybe it corrects/changes hormone levels that enable orgasm?”

You know, I’m no expert, so I really don’t know how to answer that. I did find an informational video that was somewhat interesting about the uterus. It is by the HERS Foundation. According to them, the uterus is directly related to orgasms. Some of the things they say are not in line with what I’ve experienced though. As an example, it says that almost 80% of women who have had a hysterectomy report a loss of sexual desire. For me the opposite is true. I had my sexual awakening AFTER my hysterectomy. My sex drive is now through the roof. However, I did not have my ovaries taken out. I had my uterus, cervix, and tubes removed. Here is the video if you are interested in watching it:

“It’s been hinted at that I can have a hysterectomy if I want one — I’m mostly past child-bearing age, and I do NOT want to get pregnant. But I don’t really “need” a hysterectomy for medical reasons; I guess I sort of qualify for one, enough so that an ob/gyn could justify it. And I thought about it for a while, because I really don’t want to get pregnant, and might be able to get a tummy-tuck thrown in on the cheap, since insurance would pay for the hyst, minus deductible and OOP for the plastic surgeon. But then I read about women that used to enjoy full orgasms not having them anymore, and on further research found conflicting comments.

Hmmm, as long as my life isn’t threatened with cancer or bleeding that won’t stop, I think I’ll pass, even if I do “sort of” qualify. But I haven’t found what I consider to be good answers to my question, only vague comments that conflict.”

I do not think I would pursue having a hysterectomy without a valid medical reason. Do I regret having mine? No, I don’t. I absolutely love not having a monthly period anymore. I no longer experience pain from my husband bumping into my cervix, and so far I have not had any adverse effects from it. But just because my experience has been positive (so far) doesn’t mean that yours will be. This is a major operation that can not be undone.

“My OB is a good dr, but he’s a man, so not only would I feel extremely uncomfortable discussing this with a man, but I also couldn’t fully trust his opinion since he doesn’t have a uterus. Ideally a female OB that had orgasms before having a hysterectomy could answer these questions, but how on earth do we shop around for an OB that fits those criteria, AND takes our insurance?”

I understand what you are saying. Maybe some of our women readers out there have also undergone a hysterectomy. If any of you feel led to answer this woman’s questions from your own personal experience, then please use the comment box below. It sounds like she would appreciate hearing other women’s experiences, whether they be positive or negative.